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Advocates call on the state to create a new MMIWR task force after shuttering the original
For many families of the scores missing and murdered Indigenous people in New Mexico, the onus of finding their family members and getting justice is largely on their shoulders. They sell jewelry and Navajo tacos to get the financial support for their countless hours of searching and to bring awareness to their cause. They print […]
A tale of two Martins: Artificial intelligence takes center stage in Santa Fe
As artificial intelligence tests the boundaries of copyright law, labor rights and disinformation, the solutions to rein in its capabilities are about as tenuous as the technology itself. On Friday U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM), author George R. R. Martin and University of New Mexico professor Melanie Moses spoke about the potential threats and solutions […]
‘There’s no stopping us now’ League of United Latin American Citizens sets 2024 election goals
The road to the White House in 2024 is through the barrios and in Latino households all over the country. That’s what Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, also known as LULAC, often repeated at the nonpartisan group’s national conference in Albuquerque as a call for candidates to show up […]
After 20-year hiatus, youth legislative session returns to Santa Fe
If it were up to the 130 students gathered at the Roundhouse on June 16, their weeklong legislative session would’ve expanded mental health services, encouraged more widespread community gardens and challenged education inequities. This year’s youth legislative session was born from a partnership between the National Hispanic Institute, the University of New Mexico and Sen. […]
Free meals for K-12 students proposed in Congress
As the start of the next school year approaches, schools in New Mexico are preparing to hand out free meals to all students after the Legislature unanimously passed a bill that would ensure all students have access to food in school, joining four other states in making universal meals a permanent policy. About three-quarters of […]
‘Perfect storm’ coming for food insecurity in New Mexico
When the federal government ended the pandemic expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this month, Gladys Recinos went from being able to buy food for her family for the entire month to barely making it to 17 days. More realistically, she can cover about 15 days worth of food with her food aid It’s […]
Public school students in New Mexico will soon receive free meals
The smell of chicken nuggets and carrots filled the cafeteria at Piñon Elementary in Santa Fe on Monday as cafeteria workers and lawmakers doled out sauces and green apples for the fourth graders eating lunch. Starting next school year, no K-12 student in New Mexico will have to pay for their meals as Gov. Michelle […]
Affirmative consent proposal dies on final day in Santa Fe
On the penultimate day of the Legislative session, HB 43, which would’ve made affirmative consent the standard for teaching consent in public schools, sat as the final item on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s agenda. The bill sailed through its previous committees and garnered a commanding House floor vote only to languish in the judiciary committee […]
Affirmative Consent bill stalled in Senate Committee
More than 30 students – mostly from Capital High School in Santa Fe – flooded the mailboxes of the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of an action with Girls Inc. of Santa Fe last week with pleas that the committee schedule a hearing for HB 43, which would set affirmative consent as a standard for […]
Tribal education reform bills stalled in New Mexico Legislature
When the Senate Education Committee was over on Friday, March 3, Kaylee Bahe had already been awake for eight hours organizing her thoughts and materials before taking the Rail Runner by herself from Albuquerque to meet with lawmakers. Bahe (Diné), a sophomore at Eldorado High School, was there to speak up about racism she saw […]
NM governor found a way to give pre-k teachers and staff $3 raises. Not everyone qualifies
These days it costs $16 for a packet of chicken big enough to feed Alma Ortiz’s family. It’s a big jump from what she’s used to, and she has a hard time being able to afford it. Ortiz is a single mom and early childhood teacher for Youth Development Inc., a Head Start program in […]
Affirmative consent legislation one step away from Senate vote
The affirmative consent bill that would make “yes means yes” the baseline for teaching consent in schools received unanimous approval from the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate Judiciary Committee for review. This is the third time Rep. Liz Thomson (D-Albuquerque) brought the bill to the Roundhouse, and each time […]